Flexible bearer

ABSTRACT

A flexible bearer adapted to be placed on a ground surface adjacent an excavation for supporting the loose material removed from such excavation and protecting the natural environment adjacent the excavation. The bearer comprises a body formed of a flexible sheet of material reinforced by relatively thick strips of material fixedly secured to the underside of the body. Loops are provided along the marginal edges of the body to receive hooks or other lifting means to raise portions of the bearer.

United States Patent [191 Rickettson 1 FLEXIBLE BEARER [76] Inventor:Donald F. Rickettson, Shepherd Hill Rd., East Aurora, NY. 14052 [22]Filed: Apr. 3, 1972 [21] Appl. No 240,364

U.S. Cl 112/402, 61/38, 112/417,

[51] Int. Cl D05b 93/00, B32b 5/04 [58] Field of Search 161/57, 60, 78,86, 44, 61, 161/149; 112/402, 412, 415, 417, 440; 61/38 [5 6] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,616,151 10/1971v Racopoules 161/44 1 Jan.29, 1974 7/1947 Frieder et a1. 28/78 7/1960 Suckle 28/80 PrimaryExaminer-George F. Lesmes Assistant Examiner-William R. Dixon, Jr.Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Christel & Bean [5 7] ABSTRACT A flexiblebearer adapted to be placed on a ground surface adjacent an excavationfor supporting the loose material removed from such excavation andprotecting the natural environment adjacent the excavation. The bearercomprises a body formed of a flexible sheet of material reinforced byrelatively thick strips of material fixedly secured to the underside ofthe body. Loops are provided along the marginal edges of the body toreceive hooks or other lifting means to raise portions of the bearer.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FLEXIBLE BEARER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to a flexible bearer and, more particularly, to aflexible bearer adapted to be used in excavation operations forsupporting loose materials.

In various construction operations, such as in the formation of ditchesor trenches for the construction of pipeline systems or the like, theloose material removed is generally deposited on the ground surfaceadjacent the ditch or trech being dug. The indiscriminate dumping ofthis loose material, which can include slag, stones, rocks and the like,often damages the grass, vegetation and other plant life located alongsuch excavation. Also, the underlying vegetation is further damaged byscraping or raking in an effort to remove the loose material from theground surface when refilling the excavation. Since it is virtuallyimpossible to recover all of the loose material, an unsightly andunattractive area remains adjacent the excavation after the completionthereof. Sometimes, in order to prevent damaging bushes and treeslocated near the excavation, the loose material is dumped at a locationsomewhat remote from the site of the excavation, thereby increasing thetime and labor involved for both the excavation and the refilloperations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The apparatus of the present invention, ashereinafter described, obviates the above disadvantages by providing anovel, flexible, material bearer for supporting material removed from anexcavation, which bearer is simple and strong in construction, low incost, rugged and durable in use, and which also serves to protectunderlying vegetation and plant life.

Generally speaking, the material bearer of the present inventioncomprises a flexible body formed of a suitable sheet of fabric materialhaving relatively thick strips of material fixedly secured to theunderside of the body to provide reinforcement for the body. Loops areprovided along the marginal edges of the bearer body for receiving hooksor other lifting devices to raise portions of the bearer when loadedwith material. The flexibility of the bearer enables the same to followthe contour of the ground surface adjacent the excavation being formed,provides control in metering the flow of material discharged from thebearer, and permits the bearer to be folded or rolled into a compactunit for storage and transport.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of atrench excavation, illustrating the use of the material bearer of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating another position of thematerial bearer of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating still another positionof the material bearer of this invention;

and

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a material bearer, constructed inaccordance with this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Referring now indetail to the illustrative embodiment depicted in the accompanyingdrawing, there is shown in FIG. 4 a material bearer, generallydesignated 10 and constructed in accordance with this invention,comprising a flat body 12, preferably of a generally rectangularlyshaped configuration in plan. Body 12 preferably is formed of a sheet ofstrong, flexible, moisture-proof, tear-resistant fabric material, suchas laminated nylon for example, or any other suitable flexible materialshaving the same moisture-proof and tearresistant properties and whichare relatively unaffected by sunlight, weathering, oxidation anddeleterious chemicals. Body 12 is of a unitary, one-piece constructionand can vary widely in length and width, as desired. While the bearerdepicted in the illustrative embodiment of FIG. 4 preferably isrectangular in plan, it should be understood that bearer 10 can take anyconfiguration, such as a square or trapezoidal shape in plane forexample.

As shown in FIG. 4, body 12 is reinforced by a plurality of backingstrips, generally designated 14, 16 and 18, respectively, of relativelythick, flexible material, sewn or otherwise fixedly secured to theunderside of body 12 by any suitable fastening means. Strip 14 is formedof a continuous band having a pair of straight, generally parallelportions 20 and 22 extending lengthwise of body 12 adjacent the marginaledges thereof and a pair of intersecting portions 24 and 26 extendingfrom the opposite ends of straight portions 20 and 22 to the oppositeends of straight portions 24 and 26, intersecting intermediate theopposite ends thereof. The opposite ends of straight portions 20 and 22are joined to the opposite ends of intersecting portions 24 and 26 atcurved junctures forming loops 28 projecting axially outwardly beyondthe opposite ends of body 12. The strip 16 is formed from an elongatedstrip of material bent to the desired configuration with the free endsof the strip suitably spliced together by any conventional means.

Strip 16 also is formed of a continuous band having a pair of straight,generally parallel portions 30 and 32 extending crosswise of body 12adjacent the opposite ends thereof and a plurality of diagonallyextending, intersecting portions 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48interposed between straight portions 30 and 32. One end of diagonalportion 34 is joined at one end thereof to one end of straight portion30 at a curved juncture 50, the other end of portion 34 joining one endof diagonal portion 40 at a curved juncture 52. The other end of portion40 is connected to one end of diagonal portion 42 at a curved juncture54, the other end of portion 42 joining one end of diagonal portion 48at a curved juncture 56. The opposite end of portion 48 is connected toone end of straight portion 32 at a curved juncture 58. The opposite endof straight portion 32 is connected to one end of diagonal portion 46 ata curved juncture and the other end of portion 46 is joined to one endof diagonal portion 44 at a curved juncture 62. The opposite end ofportion 44 is connected to one end of diagonal portion 38 at a curvedjuncture 64 and the other end of portion 38 is connected to one end ofdiagonal portion 36 at a curved juncture 66. The other end of portion 36is connected to the opposite end of straight portion 30 at a curvedjuncture 68. Thus, strip 16 defines a configurated pattern forming apair of triangularly shaped side section with three side-by-side relateddiamond shaped sections extending therebetween. Of course, the patternof strip 16 illustrated in FIG. 4 is formed from an elongated strip bentto the desired configuration with the free ends of the strip suitablyspliced in any conventional manner.

Stip l8 adds additional support and reinforcement for body 12 and theoverlying strips 14 and 16. Strip 18 extends lengthwise of body 12 alongsubstantially the longitudinal axis thereof and terminates at itsopposite ends in a pair of loop or eye formations 70 projecting axiallybeyond the opposite ends of body 12.

The curved junctures 50-68 form loops projecting laterally outwardlybeyond the marginal edges of body 12 and, together with loops 28 and 70provide means for receiving hooks of a chain or other suitable liftingdevice for facilitating the raising of one edge of bearer when loadedwith material.

The three strips 14, 16 and 18 preferably are formed of a strong,flexible, moisture-proof, tear-resistant fabric such as nylon webbingfor example, or any other suitable flexible materials having similarproperties and weathering characteristics. The cross patterns formed bystrip 16 and the generally longitudinal cross pattern formed by strip 14offer support and reinforcement for body 12 to enable the latter tosupport extremely heavy loads. It should be understood that theconfigurations of each of these strips may vary within the purview ofthis invention so long as they form intersecting cross patternsextending along the length of body 12 sufficiently reinforcing thelatter to withstand the load requirements.

FIGS. 13 illustrate the use of bearer 10 in a construction operation inwhich a trench T is formed for the placement of pipes, conduits and thelike. Prior to digging, bearer 10 is placed on the ground surface Sadjacent the area to be excavated with the longitudinal edges of bearer10 extending parallel to the excavation. Normally, bearer 10 would liein a flat condition following the general contour of ground surface Sand the loose material M removed in the formation of Trench T isdeposited on body 12 of bearer 10. However, any vegetation V, as shownin FIG. 1, or any other upstanding projections, in close proximity totrench T are covered by portions of bearer 10 to protect the sameagainst the loose material dumped on bearer 10. This allows the materialto be expeditiously and rapidly dumped without undue concern for thesurrounding vegetation.

A side portion 74 of bearer 10 adjacent the area to be dug is initiallyreversely bent so as to extend rearwardly of bearer 10. After the trenchT is formed, this reversely bent portion 74 is bent downwardly andsuspended in trench T as shown in FIG. I for a purpose to be explained.

When it is desired to refill trench T, the side of bearer 10 remote fromtrench T or side portion 74 is lifted by any suitable means, such ashooks engagable with the loops on bearer 10, to discharge the loosematerial M into trench T. The disposition of side portion 74, which isbent downwardly into trench T, prevents rearward slippage of bearer 10relative to the loose material M, which otherwise might occur whenlifting the opposite side of bearer 10. Because of the flexibility ofbearer 10, the flow of material M from bearer 10 can be effectivelycontrolled so as to meter the flow of material M into trench T, as shownin H0. 2, to more efficiently carry out the refill operation. This isespecially important when piping or other components are placed intrench T and all of the material M cannot be refilled in trench T. Whenthe refill operation is completed, as

shown in FIG. 3, bearer 10 is removed and the partially embedded portion74 is withdrawn from the refilled trench T, leaving a clean areaadjacent the trench. While the grass on ground surface S underlyingbearer 10 may be matted down, it remains undamaged and in a relativelyshort period of time resumes its natural condition. The vegetationprotected by bearer 10 remains intact, thereby preserving the naturalenvironment around the excavation. Also, where buildings orappurtenances are located in close proximity to the excavation, aportion of bearer 10 remote from the excavation can be bent upwardly tolie against the lower end of such exposed appurtenances to shield themagainst the material removed from the excavation, which material wouldotherwise be dumped against these appurtenances. When not in use, bearer10 can be conveniently folded or rolled into a compact unit for storageand transport.

The present invention thus provides a simple and novel expedient in theform of a flexible bearer for supporting the loose material removed froman excavation while protecting the surrounding area and any vegeta tionor appurtenances existing thereon. The flexibility of the bearer rendersit capable of metering the flow of material discharged from the bearerinto the excavation. Moreover, the bearer can be folded or rolled into acompact form for convenience in storage and handling. By the provisionof reinforcing, flexible strips secured to the underside of the bearer,the latter is materially strengthened for supporting extremely heavyloads. Also, the symmetrical cross pattern configuration of these stripsinsures equal support and reinforcement for the entire area of thebearer body.

A preferred embodiment of this invention having been described indetail, it is to be understood that this has been done by way ofillustration only and than numerous modifications thereof may be madewithout departing from the broad spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A bearer comprising: an elongated body formed of a flexible sheet ofmoisture-proof, tear resistant material adapted to receive bulk materialon one side thereof; a plurality of reinforcing strips of flexiblematerial sewn to the other side of said body and arranged in anintersecting pattern thereacross, said plurality of reinforcing stripsincluding a first endless strip and a second endless strip; said firststrip having a pair of straight portions extending lengthwise of saidbody along the longitudinal edges thereof and a pair of diagonalportions extending from the opposite ends of one of said straightportions to the opposite ends of the other of said straight portions;said diagonal portions intersecting intermediate their opposite ends;the opposite ends of said straight portions and said diagonal portionsbeing joined together at curved junctures forming loops projectingaxially outwardly of the opposite ends of said body; said second striphaving a pair of straight portions extending crosswise of said bodyalong the marginal edges thereof and a plurality of intersectingportions between said straight portions extending across said body;certain of said intersecting portions joined to said straight portionsand to certain other of said intersecting portions at curved juncturesforming loops projecting laterally outwardly from the longitudinal edgesof said body.

v 6 2. A bearer according to claim 1 including a third re- 3. A beareraccording to claim 1 wherein said flexible mforcmg strip extendmglengthwise dong the longitu' sheet material is laminated nylon and saidreinforcing dinal axis of said body; said third strip terminating inloop formations projecting axially outwardly from the opposite ends ofsaid body. 5

strips are formed of nylon webbing.

1. A bearer comprising: an elongated body formed of a flexible sheet ofmoisture-proof, tear resistant material adapted to receive bulk materialon one side thereof; a plurality of reinforcing strips of flexiblematerial sewn to the other side of said body and arranged in anintersecting pattern thereacross, said plurality of reinforcing stripsincluding a first endless strip and a second endless strip; said firststrip having a pair of straight portions extending lengthwise of saidbody along the longitudinal edges thereof and a pair of diagonalportions extending from the opposite ends of one of said straightportions to the opposite ends of the other of said straight portions;said diagonal portions intersecting intermediate their opposite ends;the opposite ends of said straight portions and said diagonal portionsbeing joined together at curved junctures forming loops projectingaxially outwardly of the opposite ends of said body; said second striphaving a pair of straight portions extending crosswise of said bodyalong the marginal edges thereof and a plurality of intersectingportions between said straight portions extending across said body;certain of said intersecting portions joined to said straight portionsand to certain other of said intersecting portions at curved juncturesforming loops projecting laterally outwardly from the longitudinal edgesof said body.
 2. A bearer according to claim 1 including a thirdreinforcing strip extending lengthwise along the longitudinal axis ofsaid body; said third strip terminating in loop formations projectingaxially outwardly from the opposite ends of said body.
 3. A beareraccording to claim 1 wherein said flexible sheet material is laminatednylon and said reinforcing strips are formed of nylon webbing.